The Dragon's Tail: Radiation Safety in the Manhattan Project, 1942-1946

PUBLISHER

University of California Press

CITY

Berkeley, CA

DATE PUBLISHED

1987

ISBN

0-520-05852-6

This book provides a history of the radiological danger associated with the making and testing of atomic bombs during and after World War II, and the safety practices that were implemented to lessen that threat. As a direct result of those concerns, health and safety programs were established to research and monitor radiation levels affecting the workers and the public. A historical account tracing nuclear testing from the first test of Trinity to the testing of the bomb at Bikini, this book demonstrates the ongoing study of radioactive fallout and the hazards linked with nuclear testing. While the making and testing of nuclear bombs was deemed risky business, through such work a better understanding of the risks of radiation, stricter safety regulations, and more accurate detection and measurement of radiation has emerged.